Zara Cully
Zara Cully | |
---|---|
Born | Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. | January 26, 1892
Died | February 28, 1978 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 86)
Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale, California) |
Other names | Zara Cully–Brown |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1919–1978 |
Known for | Mother Jefferson – The Jeffersons |
Spouse(s) |
James M. Brown, Jr.
(m. 1914; died 1968) |
Children | 4 |
Zara Frances Cully (January 26, 1892 – February 28, 1978) was an American actress. Cully was best known for her role as Olivia 'Mother Jefferson' Jefferson on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons, which she portrayed from the series beginning in 1975 until her death in 1978.
Early life and education
Zara Frances Cully was the eldest of 10 surviving children born to Ambrose E. and Nora Ann (née Gilliam) Cully in Worcester, Massachusetts, on January 26, 1892. The Cully family was musical with Ambrose serving as the music director of the church they attended, Zion AME Church. Zara's younger brother, jazz trumpeter Wendell Cully, played with Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. She graduated from the Worcester School of Speech and Music.[citation needed]
Career
In 1940, after an appearance in
By the time she acquired the role of 'Mother' Jefferson, Cully had accumulated a long list of acting credentials spanning a half-century, including such movies as
The Jeffersons (1975–1978)
Cully's first appearance as 'Mother' Olivia Jefferson was in a guest appearance on an episode of All in the Family entitled "Lionel's Engagement" which aired February 9, 1974. She was 82 years old at the time. All three actors who portrayed Tom, Helen, and Jenny Willis on that episode were replaced with different actors by the time The Jeffersons became a spin-off on January 18, 1975, but producers retained Cully as Mother Jefferson. During the first 17 episodes of the third season of The Jeffersons, she was absent due to a severe case of pneumonia caused by a collapsed lung.[5] Upon her recovery she returned to the show.[6] Her last credited performance was an appearance in the ninth episode of the fourth season entitled "The Last Leaf", which aired November 12, 1977, three months before her death. No special episode was created to center on her death, but it was addressed in the second episode of the fifth season entitled "Homecoming (pt 1)", which aired September 27, 1978, seven months after her death.
Personal life and death
Cully was married once, to James M. Brown Jr. from 1914 until his death in 1968. Together, Cully and Brown had four children: Mrs. Mary Gale "Polly" Buggs (wife of John A. Buggs, deputy director of the
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | The Liberation of L.B. Jones | Mama Lavorn | |
1970 | WUSA | White Haired Woman | |
1970 | The Great White Hope | Mrs. Jefferson's Friend | Uncredited |
1971 | Brother John | Miss Nettie | |
1974 | Sugar Hill | Mama Maitresse | |
1975 | Darktown Strutters | Lorelai | |
1975-1978 | The Jeffersons | Mother Jefferson |
References
- St. Petersburg Times. March 1, 1978. p. 11B.
- ^ a b "Cancer Claims 'Mother Jefferson' At Age 86". Jet. 52 (25): 54. March 16, 1978. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- ^ Robinson, Louise (January 1976). "The Jeffersons". Ebony. XXXI (3): 115. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- ^ a b "Actress Zara Cully Dies". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. United Press International. March 1, 1978. p. 12-A.
- ^ Henninger, Paul (February 6, 1977). "Shows to Watch". The Milwaukee Journal. Los Angeles Times Service. p. 6.
- Ocala Star-Banner. p. 6A.
- ^ "11th NAACP Image Awards Nominations Announced". Jet. 54 (12): 60. June 8, 1978. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- ^ "'Mother Jefferson' Buried in L.A." The Afro American. March 11, 1978. p. 11.
External links
- Zara Cully at IMDb
- Zara Cully at Find a Grave